SEGA Retrospective: An overview of Japanese Only SEGA games

Sega is a Japanese company first and foremost, no way around it. As I did in the previous two articles of mine, I will delve into the Japanese side of Sega, and exclusively tailor this to Japanese only Sega games that have not made into the west, as well as how those types of games evolved. Read on for a retrospective look back at some games you likely never heard or about and surely never played!

Early Arcade

A mahjong with teasing high school girls in the back drop? Only Japan

As it always is with Sega, it all began in the arcades. Japan only arcade games were not that common back then. In the early days with electro mechanical games, there were none. When the first arcade video games arrived, Japanese only arcade games began to emerge with two mahjong titles, Sukeban Jansi Ryukoand Dakkochan House. There was a sports game called Warball, and a shoot em’ up named Bullet. Two Puzzle games included Columns and the relatively unknown Flash Point. And also some Coreland developed arcade titles. Aside from the Mahjong titles, these had no language barriers however.

SG-1000 & Mark III & Mega Drive

Sega’s Sherlock game was an early example of a “cross-gen” game being playable on SG-1000 and Mark III

On the console side, during this period, the amount of Japan only games was bigger. Not a surprise considering how the SG-1000 is pretty much a Japan only machine, even if it had some obscure releases in New Zealand. Here is a handy list of all the games with elaborate reviews for all of them. Most of the games had versions on the Mark III, leaving much of it forgotten. However it still had some more memorable, and important games, where big name Sega developers got their start such as with Girl’s Gardenand Doki Doki Penguin Land or Sega’s very first manga tie-in Golgo 13 (shooting game). Obscure fact: The last game in Japan for the SG-1000 was a Sherlock Holmes tie in called Loretta no Shouzou: Sherlock Holmes and was briefly seen in a Sega Hard Girls Episode (I really can’t be bothered when and where it cameo’d, and manually look through the episode, but it might have been the one where they were in the mobile game Chain Chronicle where a bunch of 2d stills of Sega characters appear).

This was the 80s, and while this still seems like already quite a good amount of Japanese only games, it only expanded with the dawn of the 90s, and increasingly bigger games for Japan. Even tough the Mega Drive/Genesis lost to Nintendo’s console in Sega’s native homeland, Sega made quite a few games for the Japanese audience. An interesting genre was strategy games, which Sega made three of, which were Bahamut Senki, Sangokushi Retsuden: Ransei no Eiyuutachiand Taiheiki.

Exclusive RPGs were Rent-A-Hero, which was a game by Sega’s prominent AM2 arcade studio. Two other games wereKing Colussus as well as Surging Aura, which are designed by Japanese manga illustrators. Sega also made a pure text side adventure for Phantasy Star II,Phantasy Star II Text Adventures.

Internet downloads on your console in 1991? Only Sega would try that – an overseas release was planned once.

Game Gear

Coca Coca Kids. There is not only Pepsiman

Just like the Mega Drive, the Game Gear had also many exclusive Japanese game developed for it. The first to mention when going by the alphabet – is also the most interesting game. The sponsored platformer called Coca Cola Kid, made by the same developer who did the Game Gear Sonic games. In terms of sports games there were four baseball games The Pro Yakyuu ’91,Hyper Pro Yakyuu ’92, Tatakae! Pro Yakyuu Twin Leagueand Pro Yakyuu GG League. Also as sort of outlier, a Basketball game called Dunk Kidswas made. The Game Gear also received many licensed games, oddly enough quite a few were not related to manga.

Saturn

Sakura Wars was Sega’s biggest console hit in Japan

So yeah, despite the often rather lackluster system sales, Sega was still very committed to its Japanese audience. This was likely due to them being such an arcade giant in Japan and having a big overall presence. Despite this, not many Japanese had a Sega console. With the Saturn, this changed. Which allowed them for a big project exclusively for Japan.

FMV games did not just exist with western actors

That project was the Sakura Taisen series, which had three entries on the Saturn, with one being a being a spin off newsletter game. Visual novels were an obscure genre but combined with Shining Force type of gameplay made it more mass market in Japan, but sadly not enough for an overseas release. Sega released more RPG’s and visual novel type games for Japan. which were Advanced World War Sennen Teikoku no Koubou: Last of the Millennium, which was also a strategy RPG like Sakura Taisen, but was in complete opposite in look, theme and feel. Dragon Force II, Riglordsaga 2and Shining Force III Scenario 2: Nerawareta Miko were sequels to games where the predecessors have made it’s way here to the West. Funky Head Boxerswas a goofy boxers arcade game.

Another game by the Sakura Taisen template, this time with the SRPG elements however, was Wachenröder. Blue Seedwas an RPG with turn-based combat. After some more obscure anime titles mentioned, we finally get to one that is more well known – Shinseiki Evangelion, but that basically is just an FMV game. An anime of the same critically acclaimed kind also received a game, Shoujo Kakumei Utena: Itsuka Kakumei Sareru Monogatari, which was an adventure game, also was made. Fun fact: editing the soundtrack for the game was the first job for Jet Set Radio composer Hideki Naganuma when joining Sega. Terra Phantastica is an original RPG that mirrors Dragon Force, but from an isometric point of view. Söldnerschild is a strategy game in collaboration with Koei, also seemingly similar to Dragon Force. Omakase! Taimawaza is game I can’t find anything about. WanChai Connection is an adventure visual novel game about Chinese detectives, with live action FMV.

Godzilla Simulation RPG? You bet

X Japan Virtual Shock 001 is a music video on a Japanese metal band. Virtua Fighter was also a huge brand in Japan, which is why it got away with selling a portrait viewer on a disc.

Of course sports games was once again part of the Sega Saturn, which one franchise debuting on it that still exists to this day. The baseball franchise for the Sega Saturn was called Greatest Nine, which got four games, starting in 1995.J.League Pro Soccer Club o Tsukurou! has been probably the most successful sports title Sega has released up to then. The game did not involve playing the sport directly, but rather managing the team – in a way, a Japanese Football Manager. It got a sequel on the Saturn, and it was just the start. All Japan Pro Wrestling Featuring Virtua, the wrestling take on Virtua Fighter, was exclusive to Japan, and appearently was very good, going by an import review by Jeff Gerstmann in 1995.

Sakura Wars spawned many spin-offs

Like on Mega Drive, two Puyo games were made available on the system. Sega also released a rhythm game, maybe intending to release more as Digital Dance Mix Vol.1 Namie Amuro. Retro Sega compilation series, Sega Ages, stayed Japanese exclusive, bar some titles.

Digital Dance Mix – a proto Hatsune Miku?

To summarize the Japanese exclusive Sega Saturn line up, it may would come across as strange to some that I don’t feel like Sega Japan at that point favored the Japanese audience that much more when making games. In fact the exclusive library is not much bigger than that for Mega Drive or Game Gear. I don’t think the western audience back then would have been accepting for a game like Sakura Taisen, and any other visual novel type of game.

Edutainment

The AI computer only sold 5000 units

On a side note, edutainment was a venture that Sega was into since the mid 80s. First with the Sega AI Computer and then the Sega Pico. Seemingly tough, the AI Computer was more aimed at a higher age than the Sega Pico, which was aimed at young children. Sega developed countless of games for these systems. The computer was at the level of the Master System, and the Pico at the level of the Mega Drive. Of course the Pico did make it’s way overseas, tough overall the library only consisted of games that were made in America and Sonic, and served as sort of springboards for former Sega of America president Tom Kalinske to do stuff like LeapFrog later on.

Arcade, the second

Borench

But before we come to Sega’s final systems, let’s go to Japanese arcade exclusives of the 90’s. First off there was tons of puzzle and quiz type of games. Borench is the sort of puzzle game where you guide a ball.

The most obscure AM2 arcade game? This is all I could find

PotoPoto is a puzzle game about falling hexagons, rather than bricks or blobs. Touryuumonis another puzzle game of the “falling objectvariety. The Puzzle & Action games, aforementioned in the Mega Drive section also released withTant-R,Ichidant-R, Treasure Hunt and Taisen Tanto-R Sasissu!. Tokoro San no MahMahjan is yet another Mahjong game. Wally wo Sagase!is the Japanese arcade version of the famous game, Where’s Wally?/Where’s Waldo?.

Arcade Columns, Puyo Puyo and Baku Baku Animalexisted only in Japan.Hanagumi Taisen Columns, the Sakura Taisen version of Columns as well. Quiz My Homework, Quiz Mekurumeku Story, Quiz Ghost Hunter, Quiz Magical Brain, Quiz Rouka ni Tattenasai were, as the name implies, are a series of quiz games.Soreike Kokology is a game based on a popular Japanese quiz book and quiz TV show about a person’s psychology.

There was a Kinect Dragon Ball Z game once…well it happened decades earlier

Desert Breakeris Sega’s take on the Mercs style top down run and gun genre (this one has no language barrier). Also no language barrier had the Westone developed beat em up, Riot City.Twin Squashwas a digitized whack-a-mole game. Dragon Ball Z V.R.V.S.is a curious game, due to being the only game to make use of the Sega Activator technology in arcades. Zunzunkyou no Yabouis a top down shoot em up game on foot. Ejihon Tantei Jimushois a mystery solving game. Maru-chan de Goo! is a game where you play various mini games related to cooking ramen. The Virtual On franchise only made an appearance in international arcades with the first game. Understandable given the mecha theme. ThereforeCyber Troopers Virtual-On Oratorio Tangramwas an arcade exclusive. Another Saturn game that was Japanese exclusive in arcade and console was the aforementioned Funky Head Boxers. For sports of course, there were a couple of games too.

Golf in the arcade? Japan has a history of quiet leisure activities being viable in arcades

Sega also got quite a tatse for Rhythm games during this period with, Mogu Rapper, Crackin’ DJ, and Shakka to Tambourine!(a reskin of Samba De Amigo with J-Pop). Cyber Troopers Virtual-On Force like Oratario Tangram didn’t find it’s way in western arcades. Spikers Battle the spin off of the SpikeOut franchise did not receive a western release (tough the series is so obscure, most would assume it never released west to begin with). Lupin the 3rd: The Shooting and Lupin the 3rd: The Typing, a major Japanese property, was also made. The Maze of the Kingswas a rail-shooter and the last game to be made for the NAOMI arcade port.

MAHJONG! The Japanese love it

Lastly, after a long hiatus, the Mahjong game in arcade made comback with the first in Sega’s Sega Network Taisen Mahjong MJ series, or simply MJ. Initial D Arcade Stagedidn’t make its western debut until the updates.

The first Japanese exclusive of the global VF franchise

On the opposite end, the updates to Virtua Fighter 4, Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution , and beyond were never found in western arcades. And in Puyo tradition, Puyo Pop Feverwas avaible in arcade format too. Finally we arrived at Sega’s last console. Given how the Dreamcast, similar to the Genesis, was much more successful in the West than in Japan, one would except less Japanese only games. Especially given how development budget only has risen. However it is not the case. The amount of region exclusives is still quite high.

A successful line of games were Atsumare! Guru Guru Onsenseries of games, which are collection of Japanese board games. Four entries came out. A reskin of the game based on the Sakura Taisen franchise, Sakura Taisen Online, also came out.

Save Sega! Segagaga is definitly one of the most desired Japanese exclusives from Sega

Now on to the sports games. Firstly the Tsuku series of management games had an enourmous amount of growth – for soccer they released two more games, for horse racing also two games, and then for baseball three games. They were the aforementioned two wrestling games for NAOMI, and also a golf game called Netto Golf.

Remember the Yakuza having numerous Western and Japanese card/board games? Guru Guru Onsen might be a predecessor to that

Now to cover more original games. Grauen no Torikagowas a visual novel adventure that released in a episodic manner. It used J-Drama live action footage. Cosmic Smashwas an arcade breakout/tennis game featuring a Tron like look, like Rez did. One would assume it also stayed in Japan not only on Dreamcast but also in the arcades. But appearently it was released in european arcades. The strategy game genre makes a comeback with Hundred Swords. Also a comeback from the MegaDrive days is Rent A Hero No.1. Roommania #203is an original game made by the division of Sega that makes music normally. It is one of the more curious games by Sega during this era, as it is life simulation of an otaku. Napple Tale: Arsia in a Daydream is a 2.5D action RPG platformer. The tribute to Yu Suzuki, Yu Suzuki Game Works, had five of his classic games, however with the exception of Power Drift, the games were already playable in Shenmue.

CONCLUSION

This covers the first-party era of Sega, and while there are many different games worth playing for sure, it’s not like we missed out on too much. Sega did its very best to make each system have a good line up in the west. Sega’s conscious efforts to release as many great titles as possible worldwide beared true despite perhaps some not so great hardware decisions. Like the signature mascot, Sega’s business was going fast, and there was no time to localize every title. Not to mention the arcade market was decently sized enough in west too. In the end, Sega’s Japan only games were the usual suspects that other companies also didn’t release. JRPG’s, manga games, visual novels, quizzes, or anything else embedded into Japanese culture, like mahjong. You can make a case of Sega actually taking more of a risk than other Japanese companies, say like releasing RPG’s like Phantasy Star and Shining Force, while Dragon Quest, Fire Emblem and Final Fantasy were outright denied. Or something weird like Seaman?

Of course this isn’t just about me tough! Which games do you think should Sega have released here? Which ones do you think you would enjoy or would of been successful in general?

In the next part, we take a look at Sega’s Japan only games in the third party era.

3 responses to “SEGA Retrospective: An overview of Japanese Only SEGA games”

Yep! Great article.
On a side note, Cosmic Smash was really released in Europe in the arcades, in fact, prior to import it for the Dreamcast I tested the game in an arcade saloon at a famous sea location in Italy.